A day after the poll panel challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to either submit an affidavit on his accusations of irregularities in electoral rolls within seven days or apologize to the nation, it was revealed on Monday that the opposition INDIA bloc is considering an impeachment motion against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. According to sources, the issue was brought up for discussion during the alliance partners' meeting on Monday morning prior to the day's Parliament session. At the time of writing this report, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha had been adjourned till 2pm because of the Opposition’s protest over the Election Commission’s (EC’s) special intensive revision (SIR) of voter lists in Bihar.
Under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service, and Term of Office) Act, 2023, the reasons for removing a chief election commissioner are the same as those for removing a Supreme Court judge. In order for the motion to be approved by both Houses of Parliament, a two-thirds majority is required. At least fifty members must sign the motion for it to be accepted. The motion is unlikely to pass, even if the INDIA bloc is successful in obtaining signatures. We must express our protest, not just whether the motion is approved or not. The CEC, instead of answering questions, is pointing fingers at the Opposition,” said a Lok Sabha MP.
In the meantime, Rahul declared on Monday that the special intensive revision of the electoral rolls is a "new weapon" of "vote chori" (vote theft) and pledged to uphold the "one person, one vote" principle. He made the remarks in a post on his WhatsApp channel while talking about his meeting with a group of people who had cast their vote in the previous Lok Sabha election, but their names had been deleted in the SIR exercise in Bihar.
On Sunday, Rahul hosted a gathering for the group at the beginning of his Vote Adhikar Yatra in Sasaram, Bihar. "SIR is a new tool for stealing votes. He wrote in Hindi, "Coincidentally, these people standing with me in this picture are 'living' proof of this theft." He stated, "All of them had cast their vote in the elections for the Lok Sabha in 2024—but by the time the elections for the Bihar Assembly came, their identity and existence were erased from the democracy of India." "Do you know who they are?Raj Mohan Singh, 70, is a farmer and retired soldier; Umravati Devi, 35, is a Dalit and a laborer; Dhanjay Kumar Bind, 30; Sita Devi, 45; Raju Devi, 55; and Mohmuddin Ansari, 52, is a woman and a former MNREGA laborer. The "collusion" of BJP and the Election Commission is punishing them for being 'Bahujan' and poor—even our soldiers were not spared, Gandhi said.
Neither will they have a vote, nor identity or rights, he added.
"They are unable to fight against the conspiracy of the system due to social discrimination and economic conditions. We stand here with them to protect the most basic right of "one person, one vote," he stated. As their Voter Adhikar Yatra entered its second day, Rahul, Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD, Mukesh Sahani of the Vikassheel Insan Party, and others prayed at the Devkund Surya Mandir in Aurangabad, Bihar. Travelling from Kutumba, the Yatra is expected to reach Gaya on Monday evening.The yatra will come to an end on September 1 with a rally in Patna after 16 days. The yatra is being undertaken in a hybrid mode, on foot and by vehicle, as was Gandhi's Manipur to Mumbai Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada, Nalanda, Sheikhpura, Lakhisarai, Munger, Bhagalpur, Katihar, Purnea, Araria, Supaul, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Sitamarhi, East Champaran, West Champaran, Gopalganj, Siwan, Chhapra, and Ara are among the cities it will travel through. During a news conference on Sunday, Kumar and other Election Commission members reiterated the two options available to Rahul. "You must either apologize to the nation or sign an affidavit. There is no third option. The allegations are unfounded if the affidavit is not provided within seven days," Kumar had stated. On August 7, Rahul had presented data collated from an Assembly segment under a Lok Sabha seat in Bengaluru to explain how the voters list was being manipulated, which he alleged was being done to help the BJP.
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